Sarkozy pushes claims in wake of Chirac retreat

France's ambitious interior minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, yesterday used the defeat of the government's controversial youth employment law to position himself as the hope for French reform and for next year's presidential elections.

Mr Sarkozy was presented in yesterday's French media as the only survivor of the political "shipwreck" after President Jacques Chirac caved in to street protests and scrapped a new youth employment law. The president's move handed a victory to France's trade unions and was a blow to his prime minister and preferred presidential successor, Dominique de Villepin.

In an interview with Le Figaro, Mr Sarkozy vowed to stick to his potential presidential slogan: the need for "la rupture" - a "clean break" with France's economic and social model - by introducing sweeping reforms to bring France into line with the global market place.

"Rupture is now more needed than ever," he told Le Figaro. Asked by Europe 1 radio whether the millions who took to the streets in protest at the government's controversial measure to combat unemployment showed that France was impossible to reform, he said: "I don't think the French refuse reforms. The French accept change but want to be assured that it is fair. They found these proposals unfair."

His interviews were the latest in a string of media appearances designed to present himself to the electorate before the centre-right UMP party chooses its candidate in January next year.

Yesterday thousands of students took to the streets in a victory parade, demanding further reforms to the government's employment laws.